Street Scene
Aug. 4, 2011

Street SceneComposed in 1931 by Alfred Newman for the film Street Scene.

This is a movie score that has intrigued me for a long time, in part because I have heard it in several films over the years. But I didn't realize until a few days ago that ...

Alfred Newman

Street SceneComposed in 1931 by Alfred Newman for the film Street Scene.

This is a movie score that has intrigued me for a long time, in part because I have heard it in several films over the years. But I didn't realize until a few days ago that Alfred Newman originally wrote Street Scene for the 1931 film, Street Scene. (The version heard above is from the 1953 film How to Marry a Millionaire.)

The movie in which I first heard this haunting theme was Cry of the City (1948) when I was in third grade. It starred Victor Mature, Richard Conte, Fred Clark, and Shelley Winters. Cry of the City is an excellent example of film noir.

Here are two jazz versions of Street Scene I hope you will like. The first is by Benny Carter; the second by Stan Kenton.